suspect in custody. in new york, after a man was pushed in front of an oncoming subway train, the shocking crime creating a national debate because of that photo, showing the man's final seconds. and celebrity health scares. what caused the young "malcolm in the middle" star to have a stroke? and anderson cooper's shocker. he actually went blind. and good morning, everybody. we begin this wednesday with breaking news out of los angeles. a deal to end a crippling strike at the busiest port -- one of the busiest ports in america. a walkout with a multibillion dollar impact around the country. >> 10,000 workers will be back on the job at the ports of los angeles and long beach today, which handle about half the cargo coming into the u.s. an overnight contract agreement ends an eight-day walkoff that

kept billions upon billions of dollars in cargo from getting to warehouses nationwide. crucial merchandise in these days before christmas. they estimated it was about $1 billion a day that this strike was going on. >> it's over now. that's the good news out of l.a. this morning. now, we turn to the battle over how to keep the nation from going over that so-called fiscal cliff. the clock is ticking now. 27 days to go. >> and president obama and congressional republicans are making plenty of sound bytes about it all. but very little progress. abc's tahman bradley has the details from washington. >> reporter: democrats and republicans remain light years apart. here's president obama, in an interview with bloomberg tv, describing house speaker john boehner's plan to avoid the fiscal cliff. >> unfortunately the speaker's proposal right now is still out of balance. >> reporter: the speaker's plan would raise $800 billion in tax revenue. but does so without raising tax rates for top income earners. the president says that's unacceptable. >> we're going to have to see the rates on the top 2% go up.

and we're not going to be able to get a deal without it. >> reporter: republicans, like rising star senator marco rubio, say raising taxes on the wealthy is the wrong approach. >> the tax increases he wants would fail to make even a small dent in the debt. it would hurt middle-class businesses and the people who work for them. >> reporter: so, that's the major holdup, taxes. republicans and democrats deeply divided. >> there's nothing going on privately that's not going on public. >> reporter: amidst the political posturing, there may actually be a chance for compromise on medicare. president obama says he's open to raising the age when seniors can start receiving benefits, from 65 to 67. according to one study, that would save almost $6 billion a year. president obama travels, today, to the business roundtable, where he'll address ceos of leading companies, folks who are closely watching this fiscal cliff drama. paula? rob? >> drama, indeed. tahman bradley, live in washington. thanks, tahman. and a top republican may be among president obama's choice for his reshuffled cabinet.

former senator chuck hagel of nebraska is said to be on the short list for secretary of defense. the president is expected to announce his nominees in the next two weeks. and looking frail and also in a wheelchair, former senator bob dole made a surprise appearance last night on capitol hill, just days after being released from the hospital. dole was pushing for passage of a u.n. treaty guaranteeing equal rights for the disabled. but his efforts were in vain. republicans blocked approval of the treaty, saying it threatens national sovereignty. also, a political passing announced overnight. long-time texas congressman, jack brooks has died. you can see brooks in this very famous photograph of lbj being sworn in as president aboard air force one. he is standing just behind a grief-stricken jackie kennedy. brooks died last night in beaumont, texas, after a sudden illness. he was 89 years old. overseas, now, where thousands of protesters remain in cairo's tahrir square,

following yesterday's massive demonstration against president morsi. more than 100,000 demonstrators gathering in front of the presidential palace, further fueling tensions after morsi's power grab. tv stations in egypt have vowed to go black today as a sign of protest. and in the southern philippines, the death toll is quickly rising after a ferocious typhoon. officials say more than 200 people have already died. that number is expected to rise as rescuers reach communities that have been cut off by landslides. dozens died when a flash flood roared through two emergency shelters. the latest, now, on the future queen of england. kate middleton is said to be doing better. but she is still in hospital this morning, being treated for a crippling form of morning sickness. prince william, though, looked a lot more upbeat, last night after spending about six hours with his wife. we now know that kate got sick

while visiting her parents over the weekend. and william, then drove her 50 miles to london to go to the hospital. the couple had planned to break the good news to the royal family on christmas day. and back here at home, a brand-new 787 dreamliner was forced to make an emergency landing after a mechanical problem. the united flight had taken off from houston to newark when the problem developed yesterday. over a 10-minute span, the plane dropped 10,000 feet and slowed drastically. it landed safely in new orleans. and passengers were put on another flight. a week of stormy weather is finally tapering off in the west. but not before a few more hours of drenching rain in northern california. the worst is over for the pacific northwest after the fourth storm in a week brought up to a half-foot of rain and some gusty winds. in oregon, more people lost electricity when falling trees crashed down on power lines. hopefully things will stay calm there. they've paid their dues the last week or so. time, now, for a look at weather across the country on this wednesday. those storms bring showers,

though, to portland, seattle, salt lake city and helena. up to a foot of snow in the northern rockies, cascades and sierra nevada. a big cooldown in the midwest. scattered showers and thunderstorms in the carolinas, atlanta and new orleans. >> 50s in the northeast. mostly 40s in the midwest. denver hovering near 70, 25 degrees above normal. just shy of 80 in phoenix. when we come back this morning, home sweet home prices. the housing market is really on a roll. and then, something fishy. a taste test of some genetically-modified salmon. it could be headed to your dinner plate. but it's nothing found in nature. and the dog that found itself on some very thin ice. and the rescuers, though, who raced to save him.

welcome back, everyone. there's another sign this morning that the housing market is recovering. home prices in october were up more than 6% from a year earlier, the biggest yearly gain in more than six years. prices rose in all but five states. they were off just a fraction from september. but analysts say that's the end of the summer home buying season. a company called aquabounty is waiting for final fda approval on what critics are calling their manmade fish. abc news got exclusive access to a facility in panama where the company is bioengineering atlantic salmon that grow a lot faster than natural salmon. basically, the company merges dna from chinook salmon and sea eels to produce its salmon.

and our jim avila, he was brave enough to taste it. >> nothing's going to happen to me or my children if they eat this fish? >> it will make you healthier. man has been altering the nature of animals since man walked upright and began domesticating animals. the beef that we consume, the pork that we consume today, don't resemble their early ancestors at all. >> critics worry but have no proof that the new fish will increase allergies. an fda review of company information found that concern to be unfounded. mcdonald's is the latest fast food chain with a special promotion this month. a cult favorite is returning, the mcrib pork sandwich. >> yes. >> saucey goodness. although the national launch is the 17th, it's already available in some areas. look at those smiles. a leaked memo says mcdonald's hopes the mcrib will boost its lagging sales. imagine if they had that coupled with the shake -- the green shake -- >> the best of both worlds. love that mcrib.

and if there's a really serious starbucks customer on your gift list this holiday season, how about a $400 gift card for use at the coffee shops. get this. it's made out of steel, not plastic. so, you'll have to pay an extra 50 bucks for this special gift card. but don't look for it at actual starbucks stores. it's only available at gilt, g-i-l-t, gilt.com. >> so, the card is worth $50. >> exactly. for those of you in the mood to waste ridiculous amounts of money. >> a $7 cup of coffee. and now that. when we come back, a serious health scare for a sitcom star. why frankie muniz says he better start taking care of himself. and a break in that deadly subway pushing here in new york, as the photographer behind a haunting front page speaks out. capella university understands rough economic times

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look at this. a beloved family pet is back on solid ground of this daring rescue in colorado. an officer slid across a partially-frozen pond to safe this jack russell terrier named jonah. jonah had chased some ducks on to the pond and suddenly found himself on thin ice. thanks to the officer, he was reunited with his grateful owners uninjured. >> wow. now, for a look at your morning road conditions. snow-covered mountain passes in the northwest. also, rain soaks highways around san francisco and sacramento. also, slick from seattle to helena. then, roads will be wet, at times, from d.c. down to the gulf coast. >> if you are flying today, weather-related airport delays are possible in san francisco and new orleans. and turning back to the news, now. police here in new york do have a suspect in custody, now, in a subway pushing death that is getting attention around the country. >> investigators say the man they're questioning has now implicated himself in the monday

attack. a subway rider was tossed on to the tracks in midtown manhattan and tried desperately to crime to safety. but was struck by a train as a horrified crowd looked on. and "the new york post" has sparked outrage by publishing this front page photo, showing the victim on the tracks just seconds from death. you can see the caption there. freelance photographer, umar abbasi, said he was firing the flash on his camera just to try to get the conductor's attention to slow down. he was not aiming to get a picture of the man on the tracks. >> i started running towards the train. my arm stretched out and flashing, so that the train driver could look at it. it all happened so fast. i don't know what i could have done more, other than jump on to the tracks and tried to save him.

but i'm not strong enough to lift a body off the tracks. >> said he had 20 pounds of gear on him, as well. just tragic. abbasi says he wishes that he had not witnessed what he saw and was shaken up, seeing the image of death every time he closes his eyes. >> unbelievable story. also, the rather strange story of software company founder john mcafee has taken another interesting twist. he has been found after weeks on the run. mcafee surfaced yesterday in guatemala city, where he will ask for asylum. that's in order to avoid having to return to belize where he used to live. mcafee went underground when he was named a person of interest in the murder of his former neighbor. police in belize maintain that he is not a suspect. and that they just have some questions for him. now, we turn to a shocking health scare for a former child actor. "malcolm in the middle" star frankie muniz, revealed on twitter he suffered a ministroke. muniz, a young guy, just turning

27 years old today, was taken to an arizona hospital last week reportedly after he had trouble speaking and understanding words. muniz later tweeted, have to start taking care of my body. getting old. no word on what exactly caused that stroke. a georgia woman said to be the oldest person in the world has passed away. betsy cooper was 116 years old and lived in a nursing home outside atlanta, where her son, who is 77, said she'd just had her hair done on tuesday morning. cooper was born august 26th, 1896. yeah. when asked her secret to a long life, cooper said, minding her own business and not eating junk food. >> may we all be that blessed, huh? wow. and it was a dramatic, now you see it, now you don't moment, in the show-me state. part of the blanchett bridge in st. charles, missouri, was blasted away in a matter of seconds. 4.5 million pounds of steel.

dropping with such force, in fact, it sent waves in the river bank. most of the bridge is being replaced or reconstructed. and sports now. last night's nba highlights. we get those from espn. >> doug kezirian here with your "sportscenter" update. it's fun time in the nation's capital right now. the wizards hosting the miami heat. second quarter, lebron had a triple-double in the game. but the wizards, leading after every quarter. fourth quarter, lebron, cuts the four-point deficit to one. under two minutes to go. wiz up two. kevin saraphin, the hook in the paint. wizards up four. ensuing miami possession. lebron, beautiful pass to dwyane wade for the lay-in. heat down two. miami down three, 6.9 seconds left. lebron, off the mark. and the wizards notch just their

second win of the season. let's go to the lone star state. lakers visiting the rockets. kobe, 52 points away from 30,000 for his career. only four other players have ever done that. pau gasol out with tendinitis in both knees. fourth quarter, rockets mounting a comeback. greg smith, the hoop. houston down one after the free throw. rockets up four. kobe bryant, takes the three and it's a one-point game. lakers led by double-digits in the fourth quarter. but l.a., down two. eight seconds to go. kobe, of course, with the ball. pulls the shoot on the three, off the mark. metta world peace, no good. anton jamison misses. l.a. falls to 8-10 on the season. its worst 18-game start since 1993. in the mid-'90s, 1993, james worthy and byron scott were still playing for the lakers.

i'm doug kezirian. have a great day. >> we were all in a much different place in the mid-'90s. >> weren't we? coming up next, "the pulse." and a really good sport. we'll show you an inspiring act on the wrestling mat. and anderson cooper, bandaged and blinded. why he suddenly lost his sight. and the out-of-this-world project that just might be the ultimate "star wars" tribute. you can save the things you love, bring them all together, and be inspired like never before. scrapbooking. create yours with nook hd - and even bigger with hd+. find yours at barnes & noble. and with my bankamericard cash rewards credit card, i love 'em even more. i earn 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% on groceries.

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time to check "the pulse," this wednesday morning, starting with a frightening ordeal for anderson cooper. he actually went blind for almost two days. >> crazy. on his show, "anderson live," cooper shared a picture of himself wearing the eye patch, you see there. he lost his sight for 36 hours when reporting from portugal for

"60 minutes." >> cooper said after spending two hours on the water, he woke up in the middle of the night feeling like his eyes were on fire. his eyeballs were sunburned. >> he's okay now. how scary is that? and unbelievable sportsmanship to show you from a middle school wrestling match in tennessee. video that's already gone viral. that's jared stevens, being carried on to the mat. he suffers from cerebral palsy. >> his opponent, who he had never met before, was justin kievit. now, when the ref started the match, justin, look at this, spontaneously pulled jared on to his back, letting him score a point. and then, he let jared win the match with a pin. >> jared's father says he likes being involved in things with other folks. as for justin, way to go, son. way to go. nice to see that. and cue the music. may the force be with a tennessee man who has very big dreams. chris lee plans on building a life-sized version of the millennium falcon, the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy from the "star wars" franchise.

>> he's already bought an 88-acre plot of land where the ship will sit. he's counting on fans to help him finish the project, based on a 3d model built by a college student. he claims it will be fully realistic, except of course, without the engine. >> may be force be with him and his journey. >> good luck resuming your dating life. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, we'll be right back. stay with us. we even reward you for the time you spent there. genius. yeah, genius. you guys must have your own loyalty program, right? well, we have something. show her, tom. huh? you should see november! oh, yeah? giving you more. now that's progressive. call or click today.

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have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. if you've had enough, ask your dermatologist about enbrel. next, violent night in the east bay. a man on a bike shot and

killed next too a middle school. >> more wet weather. a storm is moving over the bay area. going to be here for everybody's commute this morning. i'll show you where with live doppler and when the dry weather will get here. >> sue is trackinghe midwest. scattered showers and thunderstorms from washington, d.c. to the gulf coast. and finally from us this morning, good news about the end of the world. the government says those mayan predictions are not true. >> the reassurance has not convinced everybody, however. natasha zuvus met up with a so-called doomsday prepper in san diego. >> reporter: with his gas mask on and machete in hand, nikko says he's ready for december 21st. >> it's possibly the end of the world. i have done some research on it. >> reporter: the mayan calendar only extends to december 21st, 2012. some people interpret that as prediction for the end of the world on that date. >> i've seen how horrific people

can be when they really want to be. >> reporter: sanchez is a gulf war veteran. now, he's a prepper, prepared to survive the worst. and he trains others to do the same. how to pack a bugout bag, with medication, a light source and food for years. it's a growing phenomenon. he's only 1 of 102 confirmed preppers in san diego. >> people getting prepared for december 21st this year should be prepared for any possible scenario, whether it be the end of days, civil unrest, nuclear attack, flood, hurricane, earthquake. >> reporter: that's why sanchez and 102 other preppers are spending hundreds, stockpiling bunkers like these with mres, meals ready to eat, and other tools to help them survive the end of the world. but archaeologists say it's just a waste of money. mark van stone is a leading archaeologist and author of a textbook on the suggest. >> the maya did not only predict

an end to the world or the calendar. what they predicted things would go on thr years after 2012. >> reporter: for nikko sanchez, it's not a risk he's willing to take. >> that's my son, giovani. >> reporter: he says there's too much on the line. >> i would rather be looked at as a kook, and know my family has a chance of survival than not have any survival chances at all. >> he could come to our studios. they're pretty safe. >> that's right. hunker down with us, dude. that's what's making news in hunker down with us, dude. that's what's making news in captioned by closed captioning services, inc. >> hello and good morning everyone 4:30 a.m. on this wednesday morning. thank you for joining us, i'm eric thomas. and i'm kristen sze. shootings have killed two and injured four in berkeley police are investigating